Don't Let Me Go: Barrage
by Bethany1
Summary: In a crowded airport, Mamoru asked a shocked Usagi to marry him after he returns from college in the US. Happily she accepts and awaits the day he returns.. but a news announcement leaves her stunned to find out he was killed in an explosion. But even str
1. Chapter One

--PLEASE READ THIS--  
This story is a SERIES. That means there   
are more chapters that come before this one.  
You can start with these chapters, but I will  
promise you will be confused.  
The series in order goes as follows;  
Don't Let Me Go: Broken Promises  
Don't Let Me Go: Insanity  
Don't Let Me Go: Roses  
Don't Let Me Go: Apparition  
Don't Let Me Go: Debauchery  
Don't Let Me Go: Analogous  
Don't Let Me Go: Barrage  
I hope this doesn't make everyone  
go screaming and not read my fic ::sniff::  
I promise the first couple of Main titles  
are not that long ^^  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Don't Let Me Go: Barrage  
Chapter: 1  
By: Bethany and Patch  
Rated: PG 13  
Editor: Meara  
Send your commetns, suggestions,  
etc. to us at Patchkhan1@hotmail.com  
and Bethany212@aol.com  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Bright torches barely lit up the large,   
hollow walk way. The eerie glow of orange flames   
danced against the ceiling, and on the faces of   
four frightened Senshi.  
  
Sailor Saturn turned on her heel, glaive in   
hand. "Who's there?" she demanded. Her eyes   
narrowed and her mind repeated her attack's words   
over and over in her head, ready to spill from her   
mouth, should the need arise.  
  
The response was an exhalation of breath and   
a small giggle. "Hotaru-chan?" Slowly the figure   
came into the light and all four Senshi gasped.  
  
"Minako-chan?!" Sailor Moon rushed forward,   
but was stopped by Mika's hand going out and pressing   
softly, but firmly, against her shoulder.   
  
"No Sailor Moon, it could be another clone,"   
she whispered.  
  
"She is not a clone." The new voice was soft,   
but with a quiet authority that sounded as if she   
had once known great respect. Again, out of the shadows,   
a figure emerged. She was tall, but not overwhelmingly   
so - as the tall Senshi of Jupiter usually was. The   
torch cast a glow over her, showing greenish highlights   
with gray mixed in at her temples and streaked throughout   
her mass of long hair. Soft hazel eyes, with wisdom buried   
in their depths, found and locked with Mika's. "This is   
the true Leader of the Royal Court of Princess Serenity,   
Princess Venus."   
  
Minako instantly straightened as her full title was   
spoken. A pride that was hers long ago making her stand   
taller and prouder. Sailor Moon broke away from Mika's   
grip and rushed over - hugging Minako tightly.   
  
Michiru gave a small smile before turning back to   
the old woman. She blinked once, her eyes growing larger.   
"Where did she go? Who was she?"   
  
Minako hugged Usagi back tightly before regaining   
her composure. "That was Koboe. She helped me regain my   
energy and come to help you."  
  
"But why?" Mika questioned, doubts floating through   
her mind as she too searched the hall for the woman who   
had disappeared.  
  
"We have to find the others, I'll explain on the   
way," Minako went over to help Mika carry Uranus. As   
the five started, once more down the hall, Minako explained   
how the Mother of Time fit in with everything that had   
happened over the last couple of years.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The God Chronos walked into the dark room, his   
eyes holding a light of insane eagerness that bordered   
on a line somewhere near bloodlust. His remaining victim   
remained chained to the wall, head hanging limply.   
Everyone else had been used, the clones had been made   
and everything was working according to plan. Now this   
man was the only one left.  
  
"Ah, the famous Earth Prince, know to so many to   
be so strong and so bold, hanging like a weakling on my   
walls!" He let out a harsh laugh at the irony of it. He   
would soon achieve his goal... it was so close.  
  
He slapped Mamoru across the face a few times.   
"Open your eyes Earth Prince, I want you to be wide   
awake for this."  
  
Mamoru slowly opened his eyes and groaned, feeling   
completely disoriented. He lifted his head slightly,   
groaning again at the sharp pain in his neck. His eyes   
focused on the figure in front of him and he inhaled   
sharply as his vision cleared.  
  
"You!" he whispered harshly. "I know you from   
somewhere. Who are you? What do you want?"  
  
"Ah, Earth Prince, don't you know that curiosity   
killed the cat? Be patient and you will get your   
answers in due time." He smiled, enraging Mamoru.  
  
"Bastard! What have you done with the others?"  
  
"They are in good hands. You will join them soon   
Earth Prince," he hesitated for a moment and his smile   
turned almost feral. "Actually we can begin right now."  
  
"Nani? What are you going to do?"  
  
"You'll see Earth Prince." Chronos stretched out   
his hand towards Mamoru's head, his eyes gleaming.  
  
Mamoru tried to avoid Chronos' hand, turning his   
head back and forth. But it was to no avail. He felt   
his hand touch the skin of his forehead and in the next   
instant, felt an incredible rush of energy surge through   
him.  
  
The intensity of it became so great, it turned   
painful and Mamoru closed his eyes and gritted his   
teeth against screaming out loud. He heard Chronos'   
laughter, a mocking sound that he tried to block out.   
  
The pressure became too intense and as hard as   
Mamoru tried he could not stop the hoarse cry that   
tore from his throat.  
  
~~~~~~~~  
  
Usagi suddenly felt a sharp pain at the back   
of her head and fell to her knees. She grabbed her   
head and hunched over, stopping the scream that   
threatened to erupt from her.  
  
"Sailor Moon!" The Senshi surrounded her, fear   
written on their faces. They could not lose their   
leader... their savior. Not now, not ever.  
  
"Usagi-chan, are you okay? Say something!"   
Mika urged, kneeling next to her.  
  
Usagi could not say anything for a few moments.   
It was as though her brain had been frozen as   
tumultuous emotions rocked within her.   
  
"Mamo-chan," she whispered, tears escaping her   
eyes. "He's in pain, I can feel him and I can't help   
him!" she cried. She now knew what he felt whenever   
she transformed or got injured in a fight. But Kami,   
this felt so much worse!  
  
"Usagi-chan, don't give up hope," Minako began,   
putting an arm around her. "We now know that we have   
an ally, she helped me and I know she'll protect   
Mamoru-san."  
  
~~~~~~~~  
  
Chronos was enjoying this show of pain and torture   
but something else struck him as wrong. He knew something   
was missing, he should have had it by now... what was going   
on?  
  
"Where is your Golden Crystal, Earth Prince?" he   
hissed.  
  
Through the haze of pain, Mamoru heard Chronos'   
voice but refused to acknowledge. The fool didn't   
deserve even that. Instead he concentrated on his and   
Usagi's link. He was awake now and he used his entire   
being to focus in on Usagi so that maybe there would be   
a chance in her finding him.  
  
"Damn you, where is the Golden Crystal?!" Panic   
laced Chronos' voice. This weakling had to have the   
Crystal. If it were destroyed then the Prince wouldn't   
be alive. "No! I must have the Crystal! What have you   
done with it, boy?" Chronos increased the energy flow   
and Mamoru was forced to cry out again as the shock   
took hold of him.  
  
Finally Chronos snatched his hand away and took   
a step back, fury emanating from him. "It is not possible!   
You must have the Crystal. No one could have taken it...   
no one!" He thrust out his hands and would have ended the   
Prince's life right there until a thought occurred to him.  
  
Of course... he knew who had taken it. The anger   
within him curled up again at the thought of the person   
who had snatched his goal just when it was in reach. A   
snarl left his throat and he whirled around, walking out   
of the room and completely forgetting Mamoru. His thoughts   
were now on this person, the one whose life he'd make   
miserable. He would make her pay.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Black and empty. Those were the eyes that stared   
at the clones of Jupiter, Mars and Mercury. Slowly the   
Senshi of Pluto, brainwashed by her father, walked back   
and forth in front of her audience.  
  
"They are here and we must find and destroy them.   
I want Sailor Moon alive. We must have the Silver Crystal   
that she holds to finish our mission."  
  
"Which is...?" Jupiter asked. She ran her hands   
over the tight green body suit and made a face of disgust.   
It was tight in one too many places and she wondered,   
not for the first time, why they couldn't just wear the   
fuku's that the Senshi did.   
  
"To take over the universe you idoit!" Pluto   
bellowed, her face angry.   
  
A small, fat man came into the room. His face and   
body was covered in open wounds and blood dripped from   
his eyes and lips.m "Excuse me, I have news."  
  
Pluto turned on her heel and glared at the sight   
before her. "Richie, what do *you* want?"  
  
"Twentyth Century Tokyo is almost ready and the   
Senshi are in wing three. There are five of them."  
  
"Five?" Pluto repeated, rubbing her chin thoughtfully.   
"They must have help... but who?" She quickly dismissed the   
thought with a wave of her hand and continued. "No matter,   
they can be easily disposed of. Jupiter, Mars - take wing   
three and capture the Senshi at once. Mercury, come with me.   
We have to oversee the Earth side of this."  
  
As the Senshi clones and Richie left the room, a   
woman came from the shadows and removed the hood from   
her head. "My daughter, what has he done to you?"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Empty again." Hotaru again rested her glaive at her   
side and closed the thick door. "How many rooms does this   
place have?"   
  
"It feels endless, ne?" Usagi commented. They moved   
down to the next set of doors. Hotaru turned and opened it.   
She looked back out with a delighted smile on her face.  
  
"Hurry! I found Haruka!"   
  
The five Senshi rushed in the room and quietly closed   
the door behind them. Just beyond the door the hall way came   
to an end. Around the corner two clones turned and started   
down wing three. "Check every room, they must be here   
somewhere," Mars said, opening doors.   
  
Inside the room, Michiru ran to the wall where the   
body of Haruka was bound up by her hands and feet. "Haruka,   
Haruka wake up!" she whispered, using a hair pin to undo   
the chains holding her up.  
  
Mika helped Michiru lay Haruka's cold body on the floor   
and Usagi and Minako brought the clone over to lay on top   
of its origonal.  
  
"Voices, we must hurry!" Hotaru advised from the door,   
holding her glaive up. She bit on her bottom lip as the   
energy clone rejoined Haruka's body. It was taking longer   
than expected, or perhaps it was merely her imagination.   
Hotaru smiled as she remembed Michiru once telling her   
'A watched pot never boils'. Instictively, she removed her   
eyes from Haruka's body and concentrated on the door she   
was guarding.  
  
~~  
  
She looked over, one lap to go and someone was on   
her bumper. No time to lose, she would have to floor it   
and hope she made the curve.   
  
With timed movements, Haruka pressed harder on the   
gas petal and glanced in her rear view. "Dammit!" she   
cursed. "How is he keeping up?"  
  
Refusing to believe someone was a better driver   
than herself, she moved closer to the bend and pressed   
harder on the gas petal.  
  
The sounds of cheering filled her head, she wanted   
that medal so bad. She could taste blood in her mouth   
where she bit her lip in concentration.   
  
Finally the finish line was in sight. She glanced   
once more in her mirror and blinked hard. "Where the hell   
is he?!"   
  
Suddenly the car swerved and she felt the jar of   
impact as her car slid towards the wall. The opposite car   
was against her passenger side, causing her to crash. Any   
moment the car would burst into flames....  
  
Any moment it would all be over. As the flames blew   
up around her, the car passed over the finish line.  
  
~~  
  
"Haruka! Haruka, please! Wake up!" Michiru begged.   
The energy clone had joined with her body, but still   
nothing. Tears slipped down Michiru's face. "You can't   
die!! YOU CAN'T!"   
  
Sailor Moon stood just to the left, her face crumbled   
up in disbelief. This wasn't supposed to happen! She felt   
a sob deep in her throat. "No," she croaked. In response to   
her heart ache, the crystal on her chest rose from it's   
broach and a pure white light filled the room.   
  
Across the room Hotaru put her weight against the   
door and placed her glaive through the handles as Mars   
and Jupiter beat on the opposite side. She wasn't sure   
how long she could hold them off. She just hoped it was   
long enough.  
  
Mika, Michiru and Minako covered their eyes from   
the blinding light. When if finally died down, there   
was a small moan from Usagi's throat as she fell to the   
floor - dressed in her Princess gown.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"... residents are advised to stay in doors until   
the government can control the youma's destroying the   
city. At this hour the Senshi are still missing, authorities   
suspect that they may already be dea--"  
  
Kenji flicked the television off and threw the control.   
"That's bull, they are not... they are alive." His eyes looked   
the room over. Ikuko sat on the couch, her eyes wide and   
unblinking.  
  
The silence almost became deafening. Just as Kenji   
moved to reassure his wife, again, there was a small scratch   
on the door. At first it was so faint that neither was sure   
they actually heard it, until it came again.  
  
Shingo left the bottom of the stairs, where he had   
been sitting, and opened the door. Three felines came in;   
one black, one white, and one calico.  
  
"Luna, have you heard anything?" Ikuko asked immediately,   
trying to ward off the weird feeling that came with speaking   
to a cat and expecting it to answer you.   
  
"Gomen nasai Tsukino-san, I have not," Luna replied   
and padded into the living room. She jumped on the arm of   
the couch and sat straight, her tail curving around her feet   
regally. Artemis sat in the floor beneath her and directed   
his attention to Kenji.   
  
"Has the news had anything of interest to say?"  
  
"No," Kenji sighed. "They say that they are... but   
they aren't. I know they are alive."  
  
"Two weeks," Ikuko cried, her tears returning once   
more. "They have been gone so long."  
  
The brown, black and white cat sat at Ikuko's feet   
and purred reassuringly. "They have help. We were   
contacted by someone who, I'm sure, is helping them. And   
according to the data we recieved from the portal they   
used, they are in a temporal nexus."   
  
"Which means..?" Kenji waved his hand in front of   
his face, indicating he knew nothing of their 'time portals'.  
  
Luna picked up, noting Lynn probably had no idea   
how to explain what she was trying to say. "There is a   
place, where time stands still. That is all I can tell   
you of that. As far as Usagi can tell, she has been   
gone no more than a couple of hours, at the most. Although   
to us, it has been weeks."  
  
"Time stands still," Ikuko whispered. "There is so   
much of our world we know nothing about. Man thought he   
knew this world we live in so well, when actually - we   
know next to nothing."   
  
Luna and Artemis nodded in agreement.   
  
The pounding of feet above them caused both humans   
and feline to look heavenward. Kenji rose from his seat.   
"I need to speak to Shingo."  
  
"Are you hungry?" Ikuko also rose from her seat. "I   
believe we may have some cat food in the kitchen."  
  
"If you don't mind," Artemis replied, following her   
into the kitchen. "I would like some fish and chips."  
  
For the first time in two weeks, Luna and Lynn broke   
a smile as they, too, headed for the kitchen.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
-End Chapter 1.  
  
Eek! Sorry there is only one chapter out this week minna-san,  
I got really busy ^^;;   
As always HUGE thanks to everyone who emails us and oc course  
we must bow down to Meara, the master of editing skills ^_~  
  
Email! Email!! Email!!  
3 Bethany and Patch  
Bethany212@aol.com and Patchkhan1@hotmail.com  
http://anime.at/bethsere  
  
  
  



	2. Chapter Two

--PLEASE READ THIS--  
This story is a SERIES. That means there   
are more chapters that come before this one.  
You can start with these chapters, but I will  
promise you will be confused.  
The series in order goes as follows;  
Don't Let Me Go: Broken Promises  
Don't Let Me Go: Insanity  
Don't Let Me Go: Roses  
Don't Let Me Go: Apparition  
Don't Let Me Go: Debauchery  
Don't Let Me Go: Analogous  
Don't Let Me Go: Barrage  
I hope this doesn't make everyone  
go screaming and not read my fic ::sniff::  
I promise the first couple of Main titles  
are not that long ^^  
oh, and the next set of chapters are  
Don't Let Me Go: Crystalization ^_^  
___________________  
  
How do you kill a "god"?  
  
Chronos is completely, utterly, insane,   
but that excuse isn't going to save him   
from me when I get loose. The light of   
madness in his eyes burns almost as hot   
as the fires of my hatred for him. He   
seems to delight in the pain he's inflicted   
on me and in what he plans for my Beloved,   
my friends and my world. If I have to come   
back from the dead, I will have justice done.   
I will see Chronos pay his crimes. And God   
grant that the hand that delivers that justice   
is mine.  
  
How do you kill a "god"? Watch and see...  
  
-Mamoru.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~  
Don't Let Me Go: Barrage  
Chapter: 2  
By: Bethany and Patch  
Editor: Meara  
Rated: PG 13  
Comments? Suggestions? Tiggers?  
Sour Patch kids? send em' to us!  
Bethany212@aol.com and Patchkhan1@hotmail.com  
(insert one of them there hints here ^^)  
~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Someone was after her. She could feel it.   
Slowly she crept down hall after hall through   
the maze of the castle she had called home for   
over a millennia. She knew the turns and twists   
of the castle like the back of her hand. But   
tonight she felt lost and alone as she quickly   
turned another corner.  
  
The hood of her cape covered her long hair   
and half her face, helping her keep to the shadows.   
"I have no where to hide, I can not let him find   
me," she whispered to herself.  
  
But even as she said this, she knew what   
was evitable. And yet she ran, her heart   
pounding against her ribs.   
  
It wouldn't be too long. Maybe she could   
trick the Fates. Perhaps it was possible to live   
to see another rise of the fog over the Time Gate.   
  
"Going somewhere?" The voice sounded in her   
ears seconds before she ran into its owner. Slowly   
she backed up, preparing to run.   
  
Another set of arms grabbed her from behind   
and she let out a small shriek before a gag was   
stuffed in her mouth.  
  
Chronos gave an evil smile and lit a torch.   
"Well, my dear, dear wife. What have you been   
doing?" He ran his fingers through his beard   
thoughtfully. "You know, I've lost something.   
Maybe.. you could help me find it?"   
  
Kenbo's eyes widened and she tried to fight   
to free herself. But to no avail, the Youma's grip   
was too strong. Chronos' eyes flashed in the light   
and her grabbed her chin roughly. "What did you do   
with it? The Golden Crystal? Damn it woman, I *know*   
you have it!"  
  
He ripped the gag from her mouth and she   
gasped for air. "What makes you think *I* have   
it?" she spat. Her eyes glaring hatefully at the   
man she had once loved enough to marry and bare   
children for.  
  
Chronos let something close to a growl escape   
his throat and pulled his hand back to strike her.   
"Tell me where it is."  
  
She met his stare evenly. "I will not."   
  
Even the Youma flinched as Chronos let his   
fist fly. It struck Kenbo's face making it jerk   
to the left. "I want it!"  
  
Even as Kenbo reeled she her head back to   
face him, the side of her cheek as red as blood.   
"No," she whispered in a ragged voice. She almost   
choked on her tears, but managed to push them back   
long enough to spit in his face.   
  
Enraged, Chronos smacked her again and again,   
once balling his fist up and punching her jaw. "I   
WANT IT!"   
  
~~~~~~~  
  
A little more. Mamoru closed his eyes against   
the pain and once more put all of his body weight   
into pulling the chains that held him from the wall.   
  
Crack.  
  
A good while later he awoke on the floor.   
There was blood on his arms where the manacles had   
cut into him as he pulled on the chains. He blinked   
once then a small smile formed on his lips. "Thought..   
I was a weakling.. bastard," he spit and attempted   
to sit up.   
  
The world spun a few times and Mamoru fought   
it, knowing he had to get out the room before Chronos   
could come back. The only thing he could think to do   
was transform. Slowly he slid his hand inside his   
jacket and closed his eyes in concentration.  
  
"What the hell?!?" In his hand lay a thorny   
stem, no petals whatsoever attached; and he was   
still in civilian form. He felt a tingling of fear   
in his gut and concentrated again and reached into   
his jacket once more.  
  
Again, he received the same results and this   
time the fear in his gut became a sharp stab. A   
trickle of sweat formed on his brow and slid down   
his forehead and onto the side of his nose. Why wasn't   
he able to transform? How would he be able to save   
Usagi?   
  
And then realization hit him. It was the emptiness.   
How could he have missed the emptiness within him?  
  
No, it was not the link that he and Usagi shared.   
That bond was still strong, of that he was sure of.   
He knew his love was alive. He could feel her...   
and that comforted him and gave him strength.  
  
But this hollowness was different and he   
suddenly understood why he couldn't transform.   
He was missing the Golden Crystal.  
  
It was the life force of his energy and powers.   
Without it he was just another human being. With it   
he wasn't Prince Endymion of the Past, Tuxedo Kamen   
of the Present and Neo-King Endymion of the Future.  
  
The question was, where was it? He knew it was   
close by, he could feel its essence and he knew it   
was in good hands. But whose? Usagi?  
  
He slowly got up, the world spinning around   
him like crazy. He stood still for a moment,   
breathing slowly. C'mon, Mamoru, get it to together,   
he scolded himself. Finally he was able to stand   
straight. He was going to escape, he was now   
confident of that.  
  
In the next moment, he fell back against   
the wall as a twisting pain swept over him,   
starting from the back of his head. He grabbed   
his head, knowing what was wrong.   
  
"Shimatta!" Usagi was using her Crystal   
and it was sucking the energy right out of her.   
And here he was, Kami knew where... unable to help   
her. Mamoru felt so helpless at that moment. One   
hand left his head and forming a fist, slammed it   
against the wall behind him.   
  
And then an idea came to him. He could use   
the Golden Crystal to help his beloved. He   
concentrated once more, and felt the Crystal   
fuse with hers, aiding her. She was healing   
someone, that much he could tell.  
  
Pain ripped at him as he realized her   
energy was being drained. What was Usagi doing?   
He wanted to yell for her to stop but that was   
pointless. She was transforming... into another   
form - her princess form! The urge to transform   
into Prince Endymion overwhelmed him but he   
could do nothing.  
  
Suddenly, his eyes snapped open at the   
sound of footsteps. Despite the pounding headache   
that pulsed in time with his heart, he rushed over   
to stand beside the doorway, staying hidden in the   
shadowy area. The footsteps came closer and someone   
entered the room. Immediately he jumped onto the   
thing and the two went tumbling to the floor.  
  
They rolled over and over until Mamoru was   
on top throwing punches.... at his own face? His   
fist stopped in the air and he peered down at the   
person under him.  
  
"Kami..." he whispered. It *was* him. No; a   
clone of him. Through his powers of psychometry,   
he realized this... this being had no soul, only   
the essence... of himself.  
  
And he needed this essence. He needed its   
strength, its energy to find Usagi.  
  
He pulled the clone up and was slightly   
surprised to see that it was wearing a tuxedo.  
  
"I command you to re-join me!" he ordered   
the clone. It looked at him in confusion and   
Mamoru growled in frustration.   
  
"Join me!" he said, slightly louder, shaking   
the clone. He got no response and knew he wouldn't   
be receiving one anytime soon either.  
  
"Fine," he growled, talking mostly to himself.   
"We do this the hard way." He closed his eyes and   
gripped the still silent clone by the shoulders.   
He bent his head and called upon all the powers   
of the Earth, the active and dormant forces.  
  
A greenish-blue glow surrounded the two and   
Mamoru could feel himself becoming 'whole' again.   
He opened his eyes to see the clone in front of him   
slowly fading. In another few moments the clone was   
gone and Mamoru could feel the energy coursing   
through his veins. It wasn't the same feeling as   
having the Golden Crystal but it was enough to   
help him transform.  
  
He reached into his jacket, silently praying   
and rejoiced when he pulled out a perfect, fully   
bloomed, red rose. In seconds he was Tuxedo Kamen   
and he rushed out of the room concentrating on the   
link he and Usagi shared.  
  
"I'm coming love," he whispered. "Hang on for   
me."  
  
He rushed down hallways and heard the sound of   
fighting close by. He turned down another wing and   
skidded to a halt. He was in a hallway filled with   
doors on either side but there was only one particular   
door Youma's were trying to bang down.   
  
Bingo, he thought grimly and rushed towards them.   
At that moment they succeeded in pushing it down and   
the sound of fighting soon filled the air.  
  
He pushed Youma's aside, destroying them either   
with his roses or his cane, trying desperately to get   
into the room.  
  
He finally got in and his eyes widened at the   
sight of Sailor Saturn and another Senshi fighting   
Sailor Mars and Mercury.  
  
What was going on?  
  
But at that moment he saw his princess, lying   
on the ground, unconscious. Sailor Venus was guarding   
her, fighting with any lingering Youmas.   
  
He ran over to them and knelt beside Usagi,   
picking her up. His heart pounded fearfully as he   
pushed aside the hair from her neck and checked for   
a pulse.  
  
Faint... it was so faint. He looked up just in   
time to see Sailor Saturn voice her attack. A huge   
explosion ripped through the room and he shielded   
himself and Usagi.  
  
When everything had cleared he saw Sailor Mars   
and Sailor Mercury lying on the floor unconscious.   
And then it dawned on him. They were clones! Of   
course, how could he have forgotten after seeing   
his own clone. But he didn't have time to ponder   
on that thought when Sailor Venus' voice broke through   
his thoughts.  
  
"Tuxedo Kamen-sama... is that really you?" she   
peered at him carefully, not knowing whether or not   
to trust him.  
  
"Hai, it is me, not my clone. Sailor Venus,   
onegai, help me heal Usako."  
  
The anguish in her Prince's voice was enough   
to convince the Senshi and from her sub space pocket   
she brought out the Golden Crystal, holding it   
carefully in her hands.  
  
"I believe this is yours," she whispered, smiling.  
  
"How? Where did-?"  
  
"That's not important right now. Heal Usagi-chan,   
please."  
  
He nodded and took the Crystal from her hands.   
Again he closed his eyes and concentrated and in   
seconds the Crystal was gone, safely inside of him.  
  
Now he felt whole, completely and fully restored.   
Bending over Usagi, he tilted his head downwards,   
capturing her pale lips. He remembered, from long ago,   
how the power of his kiss had awakened Usagi after she   
had fought Metallia.*  
  
The power of their kisses... the power of their   
love...what strength it held.  
  
"Mamo-chan..."  
  
He heard her whisper against his lips and he drew   
back, hard-pressed not to let a few tears fall.  
  
"Usako... how I've missed you," he said, his voice   
becoming husky.  
  
Her eyes blinked open and upon seeing his face,   
widened. "Mamo-chan? Oh God, Mamo-chan!"  
  
She pulled herself up and grabbed onto him tightly   
unable to believe that he was with her... finally... after   
what seemed like ages.  
  
"I missed you too, so much! But, I was brave... and   
strong and I came here to find you..."  
  
"A very dangerous expedition," he scolded teasingly.  
  
"Anything for you... and my friends." With that last   
word she looked around, noticing everyone else.  
  
They stood up together, and she gasped upon seeing   
the limp forms of Mercury and Mars.  
  
"What happened?" she cried.  
  
"Don't worry, they're clones," Sailor Cosmos said.  
  
"Is that Mika?" Mamoru asked in amazement. She   
looked... well she didn't look like a teenager, that he   
was sure of.  
  
"Hai," Usagi replied proudly. "Meet Sailor Cosmos."  
  
"Kami..." He then saw Michiru with a limp Haruka   
and he and Usagi ran to them.  
  
"Did it work?" Usagi asked worriedly.  
  
Michiru's eyes glowed with happiness and gratitude.   
"Yes, Sailor Moon." Haruka moaned slightly and coughed.   
  
After a few minutes of dizziness and a slightly   
upset stomach, Haruka stood on her own long enough to   
pull her henshin stick out. In a horse whisper she spoke   
the words that would help her regain her strength. "Uranus..   
Planet.. Power - make up."   
  
A weak glow became stronger until everyone in the   
room was forced to cover their eyes. When it dimmed,   
Michiru would swear she never seen a more wonderful sight.  
  
In the spot where a weak and sick Haruka stood a   
moment before, now stood a woman in a fuku, healthy and   
ready to kick some butt. "Let's do this," she whispered,   
her voice dangerously low. She winked at Michiru before   
heading towards the clones of Mars and Mercury.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
She heard voices and moved towards them quickly.   
She knew she had to find Chronos so he could inform her   
of her next move. With one final turn, she came upon   
Chronos, two Youmas and a woman she didn't recognize.  
  
"Excuse me?" she said sarcastically, waving a   
hand in the air. "But you forgot to inform me of just   
what I am to do while I waited for you imps to destroy   
the Senshi."  
  
"Setsuna," Chronos spat. "Why are you here?"  
  
Kenbo's eyes widen as the grown woman entered   
the hall.   
  
~Flash back~  
  
"Mama!! Where are you?"   
  
Tears fell down Kenbo's face as she heard her   
little girl's cry and couldn't respond. The gag in   
her mouth prevented anything more than a moan to   
escape her.   
  
"Mommy?! Mommy, where are you?!" Tears and   
pain mixed together in Setsuna's voice as she cried   
out. Suddenly her voice was silenced.  
  
"Hush girl, your Mama left you. She didn't love   
you, no one loves you," the deep voice of Chronos   
supplied for the young Setsuna.  
  
"NO!" Green hair flew back and forth has she   
shook her head - refusing to believe her father's   
words. "She loves me! Mommy loves me!"  
  
"Yeah, right," he spat in her face, grabbing   
her arm and dragging her from the room. "Now, you   
be a good girl and get back to your room before I   
take a rod to you."   
  
Silence. It seemed to last forever. Finally   
the door slid open and Chronos stood in the doorway.   
  
Kenbo closed her eyes against the harsh light   
and turned her head to the side.   
  
"She deserves this, you know," Chronos began.   
"You spoiled her, pampered her so that she has no   
back bone. I won't allow an offspring of mine to be   
raised like this! Baka, you are no more than a fool   
and you will live to regret it."   
  
~End Flashback~  
  
Chronos left her there, in the dark. One night   
while she slept, she was moved to another part of   
castle where she wandered the halls since.  
  
Now, standing once more in the presence of the   
girl that had called her mommy.. she couldn't help   
the tears that fell.   
  
Setsuna barely let her eyes scan the woman   
over before she turned back to Chronos. "Who is *that*?"  
  
"No one," Chronos answered quickly; too quickly.  
  
Immediately he took his frustration out on   
Kenbo, raising his hand to strike her once more.   
"What did you do with it, woman?!"  
  
"I will not tell you," she whispered hoarsely,   
watching Setsuna out of the corner of her eye.  
  
A smile came to Chronos' lips. An evil smile   
that seemed to freeze Kenbo's heart. "You are a fool.   
Stupid woman, you will live to regret this."  
  
~Flashback~  
  
Small, almost inaudible footsteps moved in the   
large hallway. The small figure, maybe four feet   
tall, crept slowly towards the room her father had   
dragged her out of hours before. She heard his booming   
voice and came to a sudden halt, thinking she had been   
caught.  
  
But it wasn't her that he spoke so harshly to,   
it was someone else. Her emerald eyes peeked slowly   
into the room where she found her father talking to   
her mother. Even at six years old, she knew better   
than to make a sound.   
  
"...spoiled her, pampered her so that she has   
no back bone. I won't allow an offspring of mine to   
be raised like this! Baka, you are no more than a   
fool and you will live to regret it."   
  
~End Flashback~  
  
Setsuna's eyes flashed a brilliant white,   
then green before turning a grayish color. She   
fought against these images.. these lies. Her   
mother left her, she remembered it clearly. But   
then, other images of the night she had over heard   
her father talking came to her mind's eye. This   
woman.. it couldn't be.  
  
Kenbo raised her head regally and glared at   
Chronos. "I will do what I must."  
  
~Flashback~  
  
She stood, flinching only slightly, a ten-year   
old girl ready to face whatever hardships she had to.   
Her head bent, she clutched the staff tightly, as her   
father circled her, eyeing her as a hawk would.  
  
"Answer me, daughter. Are you scared?"  
  
"Iie."  
  
"I did not hear you Setsuna. Speak louder, are   
you scared?"  
  
"Iie! I am not afraid. I will do what I must!"   
she yelled and then cursed herself silently for losing   
control in front of her father.   
  
Chronos stepped back and smiled slightly,   
satisfied. "So you are afraid, are you not? I can   
understand, after all, how many girls your age are   
put in charge of time and space all at the same time?   
It must be so difficult, at such a tender age."  
  
"I will do what I must," she replied quietly.   
  
~End flashback~  
  
Hundreds of images flooded her mind so quickly   
that Setsuna grabbed her head and let out a howl of   
pain.   
  
Her mother. Her father. Her brother. Queen   
Serenity. The Time Gate. Everything came rushing   
back to her. After a few intense moments, the pain   
from the flood of memories eased and the Senshi of   
Pluto regained her composure.  
  
In a snap of her fingers, she summoned her   
time staff. And before Chronos could react, she   
raised it high in the air.  
  
"Dead Scream."  
  
The halls echoed with the scream that followed   
her words. Such a small command brought on a blow   
that forced the winds of time to knock Chronos back   
fifteen feet.   
  
Pluto walked quietly, with a deadly stride, to   
where her father laid slumped against the wall. "Tell   
me *Father*..." A small smile of satisfaction played   
on her lips. "Are you scared?"   
  
God Chronos looked up with pure hatred at the   
woman above him. Somewhere in his twisted mind, he   
knew why his daughter had betrayed *him*.  
  
Time seemed to follow Setsuna's heart and slow   
as she watched a beam of energy shoot out from   
Chronos'hand and flash past her. A small gleam of   
light shined in his black eyes.   
  
Before Pluto had the chance to react, Kenbo   
was slammed against a wall; the clothing off her   
chest burned, revealing where the blast had burnt   
into her.  
  
Chronos' laugh filled the halls of the castle.   
An evil, twisted, utterly insane sound that echoed   
in Pluto's ears as she ran towards her mother. "NO!!"  
  
Chronos stood, ready for his victory speech:   
"You BITC--"  
  
"VENUS.. Love and beauty, shock!"  
  
Chronos lost his small grip on sanity. His eyes   
flared red and a white light surrounded him. "I AM   
TRYING TO KILL SOMEONE HERE, WHY THE HELL ARE YOU   
INTERRUPTING?"   
  
Venus snapped her finger and made a face. "Uh,   
gee, let me think on that one."  
  
In his now increased rage, the white light   
flared up and engulfed the ceiling and spread like   
a wild fire down the hall. As the ceiling burned with   
the strange energy that Chronos seemed to be feeding   
on, Haruka and Michiru helped Setsuna to carry Kenbo   
into another room.  
  
~~~~~~~~  
  
"Come on! Come on!" Eternal Sailor Moon whispered   
over and over, her eyes never leaving Mars and Mercury's   
body.  
  
Tuxedo Kamen felt for a pulse once more, almost   
giving up hope when he felt a small movement in Mercury's   
wrist. "Now Usako, we have to help them."  
  
Their hands touched and in that instant, they became   
one. The power of the Silver Crystal and the Golden   
Crystal combined into a force of unimaginable strength.   
Mamoru and Usagi were one soul in two bodies. Their hearts   
beating as one, the Prince of Earth and Princess of the Moon   
fought to reawaken the Senshi.   
  
Slowly Mars' eyes fluttered open and then closed.   
Opening again, she moaned and looked over at Usagi who   
was now crying.  
  
"Meat..ball head.. don't be such a cry.. baby..."  
  
Usagi grinned through her tears, having never   
been so happy to hear her dreaded nickname.  
  
Tuxedo Kamen felt both Mars and Mercury's   
pulse once more, noting happily that it was increasing.   
"Alright you two, you need to transform and let your   
powers heal you."  
  
~~~~~~~~~  
  
Everyone in the room seemed to stop and watch   
the light show that Chronos was providing. As the   
flames moved further down the hall and grew brighter,   
Pluto sat next to her mother.  
  
Tears coursed down her face as she spoke:   
"Mother? Come on, you'll be okay. The Princess, she   
can heal you, just hold on."  
  
Kenbo let the top of her cape flutter backwards,   
revealing her gray streaked hair and dull emerald eyes;   
much like Setsuna's. "My dear, sweet daughter; how I   
have missed you. But Darling, surely you must know more   
than anyone that everything has it's time. My dear,   
mine is up."  
  
"No, no it's not," Setsuna shook her head and   
held fast to her mother's limp hand.  
  
"Shhh. Do.. do you remember when you were just   
a young girl and I would brush.. your hair?"  
  
Setsuna remembered, the talks about her growing   
up and becoming a beautiful Princess. Tears streaked   
her face as she nodded. "Hai mother, I do."  
  
"You.. kno-w.. You are just.. as beautiful.. as   
I i-imaged you would be--"  
  
Setsuna felt Kenbo's hand go completely limp   
within her grip and a sob tore at her throat. "Mother..   
no. NO--please! Please don't leave me...please."  
  
The once bright green eyes, filled with love when   
Setsuna was a child; and filled with pride only moments   
before - were now a dull gray as they rolled back in her   
head.   
  
Setsuna bowed her head and wept silently.   
  
-End Chapter 2.  
  
Wellllll..... ::cries:: I hope that was sad enough ::sniff::  
I'm going for angst here.. ::sobs:: did I suceed? ^.^  
btw,   
* were you confused when Mamoru remembered his kiss bringing  
Usagi back after Metallia? Are you a dubbie and don't even  
know who Metallia is? Okay, here's the low down ^_~  
-- Metallia was the ultimate force behind the Dark Kingdom  
(This is manga info. If you do not have manga, GO GET IT! You  
can buy it at any Border's Book Store! I PROMISE you that  
if you take this little advice from me, you will thank me   
later! ^_^ Just ask for "Sailor Moon Graphic Novels" they rule!)  
After Venus stabbed and killed Beryl (yep, she did ^_^) then  
Metallia took over. Now, all the senshi were dead and Mamoru  
was brainwashed - so Usagi took on Metallia by herself. Well,  
she couldn't do it alone, and so Luna started praying to the  
tower on the moon and that released the ultimate power of   
the Moon which unbrainwashed Mamoru, but he couldn't see. His  
eyes were all black, but even then he reached out for Usagi's  
hand and swore to help her. Metallia killed over after a   
rather large explosion and Usagi died. But I ain't done, because  
**here comes the part we are referring to in the story** he  
reached down and picked her up, holding her *insert HUGE sigh  
here* and reached down and kissed her. On the Moon, Luna closed  
her eyes and smiled, saying that Usagi was being awoken by her  
Prince. Back on Earth, Usagi starts waking up and they kiss  
and hug and live happily ever after (Until Chibi-Usa falls  
out of the sky -_-;; who am I kidding? I *love* the manga  
Chibi-Usa, she's sweet and just a little lonely ^_^ )  
So there you have it, my rather long (^^;;) explanation of  
where we got that wacking idea ^^  
Anyhoo, on with author's notes.. if you are still here ^^;;  
:::gets on her knees and bows to the all wonderful Meara:::  
OMG! This woman rules beyond words I can come up with!!  
Go read her story "Fatal Exposure" it rules!! AND she is the  
world's best editor, and just an all around wonderful person!   
^_^   
HUGE thanks to everyone who emails us about this story!!!   
Celia - luv ya girl! and to Masked Madien (I hope I spelled  
that right -_-;;) who absolutly made my YEAR with that  
email she sent ::grins stupidly from ear to ear:: and everyone  
else out there who reads this story, and even if you don't  
email me, I still love you all! **HUGS** I know I have some  
faithful fans out there and you guys mean SO much to me ^_^  
I guess that is all I can fill your ear with, for now ^^;;  
  
PATCH NOTES!!!  
Hi everyone! Send all email bombs to me if you think we've   
been taking too long on these chapters... THAT WAS A JOKE!!!   
No seriously, you can send all bombs to Bethany, she has   
the perfect e-mail addy for that... aaaack!   
  
**Bethany inserts a small glare to Patch ^^**  
  
  
Luva!  
Bethany - Bethany212@aol.com  
Patch - Patchkhan1@hotmail.com  
  
  
  



	3. Chapter Three

--PLEASE READ THIS--  
This story is a SERIES. That means there   
are more chapters that come before this one.  
You can start with these chapters, but I will  
promise you will be confused.  
The series in order goes as follows;  
Don't Let Me Go: Broken Promises  
Don't Let Me Go: Insanity  
Don't Let Me Go: Roses  
Don't Let Me Go: Apparition  
Don't Let Me Go: Debauchery  
Don't Let Me Go: Analogous  
Don't Let Me Go: Barrage  
Next set of chapters are;  
Don't Let Me Go: Crystallization  
^_^  
I hope this doesn't make everyone  
go screaming and not read my fic ::sniff::  
I promise the first couple of Main titles  
are not that long ^^  
  
_________________________  
I've listened for years to tales Galaxia would   
tell me about Sailor Moon, the Senshi and their   
glorious battles against the forces of evil. It   
all sounded so very grand. A beautiful Princess,   
her dashing Prince and their stalwart companions -   
it was every fairy tale ever told and more. I   
couldn't wait until I was old enough to get there   
and do swashbuckling of my own.  
  
Now I am old enough and I am sickened by it all.   
The tales never tell about the friends who bleed   
and the hearts shattered by sights no one should   
ever have to see. No told me that people would   
die.  
  
War isn't a game and battle is never glorious.  
  
-Mika.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Don't Let Me Go: Barrage  
Chapter: 3  
By: Bethany and Patch  
Editor: Meara  
Rated: R for graphic content  
Comments? Suggestions? Eh..  
cheese cubes? ;) send them to  
the authors at TLUsak0@aol.com  
and Patchkhan1@hotmail.com  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
  
Quietly Sailor Saturn walked up behind Sailor   
Pluto and laying her hand on the older woman's shoulder,   
squeezed gently. Setsuna turned around and hugged Hotaru   
for a brief moment before straightening up.  
  
In all of Hotaru's years, she had never seen such   
pure, undaunted hate on Setsuna's face as the Senshi of   
Pluto turned to face the man who had helped bring about   
her existence in the world.  
  
Her voice was raspy, and filled with loathing when   
she spoke. "Kisama*... Damn you!"   
  
The large white flames that filled the ceiling slowly   
became slowly diminished until it was no more than a small   
blaze surrounding Chronos' form. He let out a howling laugh   
that echoed down the endless corridors of the castle.   
  
Sailor Moon, Tuxedo Mask, Sailor Mars and Sailor   
Mercury were just coming around the bend when the insane   
shriek of laughter sounded.  
  
Instantly Mika covered her ears and screamed over to   
Venus. "That sounds like the laugh of an anime evil villain!"   
  
At the same moment, Venus pinched her nose. "His breath  
smells like dead fish!"   
  
  
Mars skidded to a halt and surveyed the scene quickly.   
"No time like the present, ne?" she whispered to Mercury and   
jumped up. "Rin--"  
  
"MATTE!" Mercury screamed. "It won't work!" Quickly   
she began typing on her palm top device; her fingers beginning   
to look like white blurs to anyone watching. "Remember your   
Newtonian theory, Rei! For every action there is an equal and   
opposite reaction. If you get close enough to him to pin him   
with the charm, the fire surrounding him is going to blow you   
backwards."  
  
"So how do we attack him?" Mars questioned, glaring at   
the man that had brought them all so much pain.  
  
"According to my calculations, we have to hit him at 45   
degree angles with exactly sixty seconds between each attack -   
or our attacks will defuse each other and be essentially useless.   
And we can not come within four feet of him because the fire   
surrounding him is --"   
  
"AHHH!" Chronos screamed, sending a stream of energy   
towards the Senshi standing in front of him. Skillfully;   
Venus, Cosmos, Uranus and Neptune dodged the attack and   
watched as it blasted the wall behind them into a cloud   
of dust.  
  
"-- is acting as a force field to reflect or absorb   
any energy in it's direct path," Mercury continued.  
  
"Okay.. okay," Jupiter breathed while cracking her   
knuckles. "So in Japanese, that means what?"   
  
Sighing, Mercury closed her palm top and slid her   
visor across her eyes. "Just attack every 60 seconds."  
  
"Gotcha!" Immediately, with a look of fierce glee   
on her face, Jupiter jumped in the air, her electrical   
rod extending from her tiara. "SUPREME THUNDER!!"  
  
Lightening crashed across the room and hit Chronos   
dead in the chest. He faltered only for a second before   
regaining his balance. "YOU'LL PAY FOR THAT!" The white   
flames burst into the air, engulfing the ceiling once   
more. The vile energy resolved into the shape of a large   
hand and came towards Jupiter.   
  
"... 51, 52, 53..." Mercury glanced at her computer   
once more. "... 54 ..." Jupiter ran past her and towards   
the other Senshi, causing them all to scatter like mice.  
  
The edge of the finger was flying after Jupiter and   
opened to pick her up when from the side Mercury put her   
computer away. "No you don't," she whispered. "SHINE AQUA   
ILLUSION!"  
  
Chronos screamed in pain, and grabbed his own arm as   
the water doused the flaming hand; nothing but smoke   
remaining.  
  
"My turn!" Uranus screamed, raising her hand to   
the air. "WORLD SHAKING!"  
  
Usagi pulled Mika over to where Mercury was standing   
and glanced at her now open computer. "If we attack only   
every 60 seconds, at this rate he will never die!" Mika   
screamed above the howls of pain Chronos bit out when hit   
by Uranus's attack.  
  
"Can't we *all* attack every 60 seconds?" Usagi   
asked, peering at Mercury while also watching the battle.  
  
The Princess of Mercury bit her lip in concentration   
as she took what Usagi said into consideration. "If.. well,   
it's worth a try, right?"   
  
"Un!" Mika and Usagi agreed.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Artemis surveyed the scene with a careful eye.   
"Tsukino-san!! Luna!! Lynn!! Minna?!" He walked with a   
slight limp over the ashes and broken glass that had   
once been the Tsukino home. Here and there red blotted   
his white fur, spreading across the area of the wound.   
A piece of glass stuck in the bottom of his paw; but he   
wasn't concerned with it at the moment. Upper most in   
his mind was finding the others.  
  
The Youma that had destroyed every house on the   
block now continued on in the direction of down town Tokyo.   
With tears glistening in his eyes, Artemis continued to   
push through the rubble.  
  
Exhausted, the feline sat down and painfully removed   
the glass from his paw. "Usagi-chan... Gomen nasai." He let   
one tear fall when a movement caught his eye. Trying to   
avoid the sense of relief washing through him - after all,   
it could only be falling rubble - he moved towards area.   
  
Ignoring the pain in his paw, Artemis pushed aside   
the pieces of brick, searching for a survivor. What he   
found shocked him.  
  
There, laying on his back, a large shard of glass   
sticking from his back; was Usagi's father. Artemis stifled   
a gasp and stepped backwards, only to run into something   
warm. He turned quickly, getting in what was supposed to   
be a fighting stance, back arched and teeth bared.   
  
"Luna?!"  
  
The black cat was drenched in liquid, making her   
fur matt together here and there. Blood dripped from   
various wounds and the bright yellow crescent moon on   
her forehead no long glowed with brilliance. "Artemis..."   
she cried, moving forward and nuzzling into his fur.   
"You're bleeding."  
  
"As are you. Are you okay? Is anything broken?"   
  
Luna took a few steps forward and shook her head.   
"I don't believe anything is broken - but I do have many   
sore places." Her eyes looked around, not believing what   
she seen. Fires burned everywhere, and the once sun   
filled sky was black and forbidden. "Oh Kami... Artemis,   
this is horrible."  
  
"Hai," Artemis whispered. "Look."  
  
Luna stepped up beside Artemis and almost screamed   
as she moved back. "That's.. that is.. Usagi's father!   
Is he.. is he??"  
  
Artemis nodded and comforted Luna by nuzzling her   
fur and licking her face. "Come, we must find the others."  
  
The black cat wept silently as they moved back and   
searched the area for the rest of the Tsukino family and   
Lynn.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Chronos smirked as his enemy surrounded him. "Pathetic   
fools, you can't beat me," he mumbled, the red in his eyes   
reflecting the white flames that surrounded him.   
  
"So many have said the same, yet they are not here   
today to tell you about it," Mamoru retorted.   
  
Chronos shot out a beam of energy and the Senshi   
dodged it. Again and again beams of deadly energy lanced   
from his hands, one after the other. "Stay still! Damn you!"  
  
The Senshi skillfully avoided contact with the beam;   
flipping, running and jumping from it's path. A stray ball   
of energy came dangerously close to Saturn before she   
raised her glaive and knocked it back - making a direct   
hit on Chronos.  
  
"NOW!" Tuxedo Kamen screamed, preparing to launch his own   
attack energy attack.  
  
Every Senshi stopped where they were and gathered   
their power.   
  
"VENUS! Love and Beauty... SHOCK!"  
  
"Mercury.. Aqua Rhapsody!"   
  
"Mars.. Flame Sniper!"   
  
"JUPITER! Oak.. Evolution!"  
  
"WORLD SHAKING!"  
  
"DEEP SUBMERGE!"  
  
"Dead Scream."  
  
"SILENCE GLAIVE SURPRISE!"   
  
"Tuxedo La Smoking BOMBER!"   
  
"STAR BUST!"**  
  
  
As the attacks flew forth and combined, a large   
white light pierced the room as the impact with Chronos   
came. The sound that came from the mad "god" of time was   
one of utter surprise - as if the possibility of failure   
had never truly occurred to him. As he screamed and died   
the walls of the castle shook in sympathy with their   
Master's pain. All the Senshi ducked down, protecting   
their head with their hands as debris few past them.   
  
Tuxedo Kamen waited until pieces of wood and stone   
had stopped hitting his cape to lower it. Sailor Moon   
looked out from behind the protection of his cape, her   
eyes scanning the room anxiously.   
  
One by one, the Senshi stood, searching for the   
dead body of Chronos.   
  
That was not what they found.  
  
"I.. told you.. you can't beat me!" A raspy voice   
said in triumphant. Out of the ashes and soot, a man   
walked forward. His face was burned, his cape on fire.   
One of his eyes was gone and blood ran down his cheek   
from the empty socket and dripped off his chin. His   
toothless smile of pure evil was one Usagi was sure she   
would see in her nightmares for many years to come. With   
a slight limp he came within ten feet of Tuxedo Kamen,   
Sailor Moon and Sailor Jupiter.  
  
He raised his hand slowly to blow them away, and   
all stood, frozen, in complete horror. Transfixed by the   
idea of him living through their combined forces; not   
moving to save themselves or the Princess and Prince.   
  
Except one.  
  
Wiping a small trickle of blood from her mouth,   
Sailor Jupiter looked up through her lashes - her stare   
shooting daggers at Chronos.   
  
"You..."  
  
"Are..."  
  
...Through."   
  
She snapped her head back and balled her fists at   
her sides. "I am SO sick and tired of you!" Above the   
castle the heavens opened and a large beam of electricity   
shot down and connected with the rod on Jupiter's tiara.   
"SUPREME THUNDER!!"  
  
The electricity shot forth and knocked Chronos   
back slightly. He fought it, and began walking forward   
when Jupiter pushed a little more of herself into the   
beam and he skidded...  
  
....straight into a puddle of water from Mercury's   
attack.   
  
His entire body convulsed, jerking back and forth.   
This lasted only for a few moments before a stench started   
coming from him. Jupiter flew back as he jerked to the side   
once more. Small patches of skin were burning from the inside   
out - pockets of skin breaking and spewing blood forth. His   
hair caught fire and his skin turned black until his skull   
and bones were visible.   
  
Sailor Moon stood, transfixed at the sight before her.   
Chronos let out a painful howl and fell to his knees, still   
holding on to the last thread of life. Though by this point   
he was little more than bones. His remaining eye shot out and   
exploded; the rest of his body following suit. The smell of   
burning flesh and cloth filled the room. The Senshi covered   
their face and watched as the  
rest of him burned to ashes.  
  
The small red flame danced in Usagi's eyes before she   
let out a loud sob and buried her face in Mamoru's chest;   
seeking comfort from the harsh world around her. He wrapped   
his arms around her, holding to her tightly and rubbing her   
back.   
  
"The God of Time's time.. is up," Mika whispered and   
covered her mouth as her last meal threatened to come up.  
  
Michiru wrapped her arms around Hotaru and together   
with the rest of the Senshi walked through the time portal   
provided by Setsuna.  
  
The Senshi of Pluto looked around the empty room once   
more, to the place where her father - in her brother's body   
- had burnt to dust and to the place where her mother had   
spoken her last words; and let a tear fall down her face.   
  
"It is time. Goodbye."  
  
  
-End Chapter 3.  
Well, what did you think? Did Chronos get his? ^^ you all  
will not believe where we came up with the idea to eletrocute(sp?)  
him at ^^;; Myself and Patch were talking on IM one night  
and she said that it was storming and she hoped lightening  
didn't get her and I got hit with a brain storm ;) I was like  
"HEY! That is how we kill him!!" hehe - inspiration in the  
weirdest forms, ne?  
* - Kisama translates to "YOU!" in the bad sence.. like bastard,  
bitch etc.  
** - we had no idea what to do for Cosmos' attack - so thank  
you Meara for your help and for the Mika quote at the beginning ^_^  
A million thank yous to everyone who emails us **hugs** and   
Celia - as always ^_^   
HUGE thanks to our editor, Meara! **HUGS** bow down and kiss thy  
feet! hehe ;) She rules!  
Are you all wondering yet if this story will ever end? ^^;  
I belive Meara said this best when she said that stories seem  
to come to life sometimes. This is so true! This series was  
suppose to top 4 main titles which came out to 16 chapters..  
and chapter 28 will be out next week ^^;; But, not to worry -  
the next main titles are called Don't Let Me Go: Crystalliztion  
and after that is Don't Let Me Go: Eternity which will end  
this series for myself and Patch, so keep with us! we have  
8 chapters to go ^^  
Email! Email is good! Email is our friend!! =)  
Ja!  
Peace, love, Sailor Moon and cheese cubes!  
3 Bethany and Patch  
  
  
  
  



	4. Chapter Four

--PLEASE READ THIS--  
This story is a SERIES. That means there   
are more chapters that come before this one.  
You can start with these chapters, but I will  
promise you will be confused.  
The series in order goes as follows;  
Don't Let Me Go: Broken Promises  
Don't Let Me Go: Insanity  
Don't Let Me Go: Roses  
Don't Let Me Go: Apparition  
Don't Let Me Go: Debauchery  
Don't Let Me Go: Analogous  
Don't Let Me Go: Barrage  
Next week (maybe this week if  
I'm lucky) Chapter 1 of   
Don't Let Me Go: Crystallization  
will be out ^^  
I hope this doesn't make everyone  
go screaming and not read my fic ::sniff::  
I promise the first couple of Main titles  
are not that long ^^  
  
___________________________________  
Victorious.   
  
What does that word mean anymore? We came   
back, hoping to feel the sun warm our faces   
and the wind against our skin. But instead   
it was not to be.  
  
The world is now a bleak and dark space that   
once held the laughter of children and the   
sound of people fulfilling their dreams.  
  
Is it repairable? Or did we save the universe   
at the cost of our home planet?  
  
-Makoto.  
~~~~~~~~~~~  
Don't Let Me Go: Barrage  
Chapter: 4  
By: Bethany & Patch   
Rated: PG  
Editor: Meara  
Comments? Suggestions?  
PLEASE send them to us  
at TLUsak0@aol.com and  
Patchkhan1@hotmail.com  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
  
Destruction. It was everywhere.  
  
Desolation. It affected everyone.  
  
This was the city of Tokyo. It's beautiful   
buildings, parks and homes destroyed, it's people   
filled with depression and abject despair.  
  
The sirens of ambulances filled the air   
daily, the hospitals overflowing with the injured,   
the morgues filled with the dead.  
  
People wandered aimlessly, clutching themselves   
or holding onto a surviving loved one, disbelief in   
their eyes. They could not believe this   
possible. Their lives utterly ruined, so difficult   
to rebuild. It was with a sinking realization that   
the knowledge was imbedded in minds of the citizens  
everywhere; life would never be the same...again...   
whether it be for better or worse.  
  
A woman walking with a young child of about   
two years collapsed suddenly next to a looted store,   
pieces of its glass lying everywhere on the sidewalk.   
She ignored the pain that shot through her body from   
the sharp shards. But she did cry out, not from the   
physical pain but from the anguish deep within her.   
The pain of being betrayed.  
  
"Where were they?" she screamed, over the cries   
of her child. "Where were they when we so desperately   
needed their help?"  
  
~~~~~~~  
  
"Kami, how could we have let this happen?" Luna   
asked, remorse lacing her voice.   
  
"There was nothing we *could* do Luna, it was...   
unavoidable. Three cats against those vile youmas, we   
would have been destroyed," Artemis replied.   
  
"But we would have fought bravely and our deaths   
wouldn't have been in vain!" Luna cried, the image of   
Kenji still stuck in her mind.  
  
"And who would have told Usagi-chan what had   
happened? She and the others would have had to come   
back to a city they could no longer recognize, there   
would have been no answers, only death. We need to be   
here for all the Senshi when they come back, hopefully   
victorious. What has happened will be a great blow to   
all of them."  
  
"Oh Artemis... I hope they come back with good   
news, I really hope they do."  
  
"They will. I have faith in them. Now we have to   
find Shingo and Ikuko.. and Lynn." Artemis felt a   
crushing pain sweep through him. If Lynn, Mika's guardian,   
one of his own kind hadn't survived... no he would   
not think like that. He would not!  
  
"Artemis, do you hear that?" He turned his head   
to see Luna's ears up and alert. He pricked up his ears   
and at first he didn't hear anything. But then the sound   
of a faint mewling reached his ears. His heartbeat began   
to race as he and Luna ran towards the sound which   
emanated from somewhere near what used to be the kitchen.  
  
They clawed at the rubble, ignoring the shooting   
pain in their paws and legs. A furry head emerged and   
they shouted with joy. "Lynn!"  
  
"Artemis? Luna?" Lynn opened her eyes, squinting   
at them. "Help me, onegai...Shingo..."  
  
"He must be somewhere close by," Artemis said,   
pawing through the plaster and wood.  
  
Luna licked Lynn's face tenderly. "It will be   
alright," she said softly. "Everything will be okay.   
You'll be okay." She helped the other cat pull herself   
out of the rubble and then tried to lick clean her body,   
nuzzling her a few times.  
  
"I found him!" Artemis yelled, running back to the   
two.  
  
Luna turned to Lynn and told her to stay where she   
was as she and Artemis scampered back to Usagi's brother.   
He lay unconscious against part of a wall, his head   
against part of a wall, his chin on his chest. His   
hair was matted to his head and his face held so many   
bruises it made Luna's heart twist.  
  
"Oh Kami, please, Artemis, don't tell he too is-"  
  
"Iie, he isn't. He's alive, just not with us as yet.   
I think he'll come around. His pulse is strong."  
  
"What about Ikuko-san?" Luna asked worriedly. She   
knew Usagi would not be able to take the blow of losing   
both of her parents. It was too much no matter how   
strong she made herself out to be.   
  
"We'll find her too."  
  
"Kenji... Kenji... Kenji..."  
  
The three cats whipped their head around at   
the sound of the whisper. They saw Ikuko walk aimlessly   
towards them, staggering and stumbling. They knew she   
would see her husband first, before she saw them.   
"Ikuko-san, over here!" Luna yelled, hoping to gain   
her attention first. But it was too late. Ikuko had   
seen them but she tripped over something first and   
crashed to the floor... right next to her dead husband.   
  
A shrill scream pierced the air and they   
watched helplessly Ikuko shake her head back and forth.  
  
"Iie... Iie!! He's not dead! He can't be dead!   
Kenji, please don't leave me!!" she leaned over and   
held his face with her hands. "Kami, no! He can't   
be dead!" she sobbed hoarsely, the realization   
hitting her. She had lost her love of so many years...   
he was gone... gone from her...  
  
She slowly, painstakingly, closed Kenji's open   
eyes. Shingo and Usagi, they were all she had left.   
She lifted her head to see her son up against a wall   
and panicked, shooting to her feet and running to him.   
  
"He's alive," Artemis said quietly.  
  
Ikuko gathered him to her, hugging him close.   
"Usagi has to come back," she whispered. "She just   
has to."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Motoki, I'm so scared. I've never been so   
scared in my entire life. I don't think I was this   
scared when Chronos had us locked up."   
  
"It's going to be okay Reika, I have a feeling   
this'll be all over soon."  
  
"In a good or bad way?" Reika asked sarcastically.  
  
The two were making their way to the Crown   
Parlor so that they could get to Central Command   
for an update on... anything. Youmas were running   
unfettered and unrestrained in this the city so that   
had to use the utmost caution in reaching their   
destination. They had come too close one too many times.  
  
"I think the Senshi will come back victorious   
and they'll save us," Motoki said confidently.   
  
"Do you really have that much faith in them?"   
Reika asked , looking into her fiancée's face.  
  
"I do. I've known them for so long, and not once   
have they let me - or this planet - down. So many times,   
the world has nearly come to an end, yet they always came   
through... every time. Nothing will stop them now."   
  
They stopped walking when they found themselves   
in front of the Crown Parlor. Surprisingly everything   
seemed to be intact. "Masaka... not even the windows   
are broken. How is that possible?" Motoki asked,   
rubbing the back of his head.  
  
"Who cares? Be grateful that what we have is   
still standing. We should go inside, quickly," Reika   
said, pulling on Motoki's arm. "I still think there's   
something very strange about-"  
  
An odd sound, close to that of a screech nearby   
interrupted him and he swiveled around to see a   
grotesque shadow nearby.  
  
"Motoki, come on," she said urgently, "we   
have to go inside."  
  
"Hai, let's go!" He ran to the front door   
and pulled on the doors, growling in frustration   
when he found they were locked. The screeching   
noise came closer and he pulled harder. "The back   
door!" he suddenly exclaimed and pulled Reika along   
with him to the back of the Parlor. The door was   
made of wood and he easily opened it down with his   
shoulder and pulled Reika inside. Reika closed the   
door as Motoki pushed a large storage cabinet against   
it. As soon as he had done so, he grabbed Reika to him   
and held onto her tightly. She was shaking slightly   
at their close call and clutched at him also. She   
felt his lips on her hair and took deep breaths,   
relaxing slightly.  
  
"We're safe," he whispered. "No more hiding,   
we're safe... finally."  
  
"For how long?" Reika whispered in response. Her   
answer was Motoki tightening his hold on her.  
  
Outside, a person who had seen the couple rushed   
to the Parlor, hoping to seek some refuge also. He ran   
to the front doors and banged on the glass doors.   
Suddenly he was thrown far back as the Crown Parlor   
exploded in a fury of glass and wood.  
  
Flames licked at the smoky night air and pieces   
of rubble fell from the sky after having been blown up.   
  
The man raised his head from the grass, his head   
bleeding as he looked at the building in front of him   
in shock. The Crown Parlor... a long time hangout for   
all the youth of Tokyo... had been destroyed in an   
instant.  
  
Somewhere in the now charred Juuban Park, a   
sparkle of light glowed through the endless darkness   
of the night. It became bigger and brighter until   
those who happened to be in the area at the moment   
dropped their mouths open in wonder and amazement.  
  
Who was it? What was it? Could they pray that   
whoever or whatever it was would save them from their   
desolation and misery?  
  
A portal opened and ten figures stepped out,   
their figures shadowed by the blinding light behind   
them. And then the light dimmed until it disappeared   
and a few of the citizens blinked their eyes hoping   
for some kind of miracle.  
  
Some imagined that the figures were mythical   
persons from another galaxy come to be their saviors   
in this time of need. Others hoped that the figures   
were strong, reliable soldiers from another country,   
here with aid and supplies.   
  
But then a few of the figures dropped to the   
ground on their knees and in the light from the moon,   
the figures were revealed.  
  
"Sailor Senshi," one of the watchers whispered.  
  
"Battered and torn," whispered another.  
  
"What good will they be to us?" said another,   
the voice louder than the other two.   
  
The Senshi heard neither of the conversations   
going on around them, nor were they aware that people   
were watching them. They had come back home...   
victorious... and that was all that mattered in those   
few precious seconds.  
  
"Sweet, sweet Earth," Sailor Jupiter whispered,   
feeling the grass underneath her hands.  
  
"We're finally home," Sailor Venus said quietly,   
still in shock of having survived one of the greatest   
battles in her life.   
  
Suddenly Sailor Moon gasped and everyone looked   
at her.  
  
"Minna, our troubles are no where near over..."   
her eyes were focused on something in front of them and   
everyone turned to see what had elicited the gasp from   
her.  
  
And then Tuxedo Kamen inhaled his breath sharply,   
breaking the stunned silence. "My Earth..." he breathed.   
  
Trees that had once been great in their numbers   
and colors now stood black and charred. A playground   
that had once held swings and seesaws now lay in a   
complete mess, everything broken.  
  
It was then that everyone looked at the 'big   
picture.' It was then that everyone noticed the smoke   
that curled upwards from places in the distance. It   
was then that everyone smelled the rancid air around   
them. It was then that they noticed the destruction   
of their city.  
  
"What the hell happened here?" Tuxedo Kamen   
asked to no one in particular, his eyes narrowing   
dangerously.   
  
"W-we should get to Central Command, I'm sure   
someone will be there," Ami said, her eyes wide in   
disbelief. What had happened while they were gone?  
  
"Sou," everyone said and they started walking,   
still oblivious to the people hiding in bushes.  
  
"Even they can't help us," someone whispered.  
  
"They look too weak," someone else said.  
  
"They didn't even have any clue to what was   
going on in their city," another voiced.  
  
And then someone else spoke, much louder and   
clearer than the rest. "They betrayed us," he said   
menacingly.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Kami, what happened here?" Usagi asked for   
the tenth time, her hand covering her mouth, not   
only to stop her cries, but also that she wouldn't   
have to take in the stench of death and decay.  
  
They were still in Senshi form and by now they   
had noticed the looks of astonishment from those who   
were still brave enough to be out at such a time in   
the night.  
  
"We'll get to the bottom of this Sailor Moon,"   
Mika said reassuringly, but even her voice held some   
doubt.  
  
Buildings stood with broken windows, some   
blackened by fire.  
  
"This is Chronos' doing, I just know it,"   
Setsuna said with disgust.  
  
"But he can't do anything now, he's dead, gone   
forever," Haruka added, pulling Michiru closer to her.   
"He isn't in control anymore."  
  
"Oh no," Rei groaned, shaking her head. "Oh Kami   
no, minna look," she said pointing to one of the   
buildings. It was the Crown Parlor.  
  
"No!" Usagi screamed and then ran ahead of the   
group, despite the pain it caused her. "No," she cried   
again, but before she could actually go into it, strong   
arms encircled her waist and pulled her back against   
her beloved.  
  
"Don't Usako," Mamoru said in her ear, "it could   
be dangerous."  
  
"No! There might be people in there! Luna and   
Artemis could be in there! They could be hurt! Let me   
go!" she struggled against his arms, tears falling down   
her face.  
  
"Usako..."  
  
"There are two life forms in there," Ami said,   
doing a scan. "They're alive but barely."  
  
"We have to go in!" Usagi cried and broke free   
from Mamoru. She ran in, the others right behind her.  
  
"Be careful minna! This place looks like it's   
going to collapse," Rei said, surveying the inside.  
  
"According to the data, the two bodies are over   
there, near the back, under that plaster," Ami said,   
pointing. Usagi quickly ran over, avoiding all the   
rubble and beginning pulling away the plaster. She   
stopped when she saw a face.   
  
"Motoki-san," she whispered.  
  
Mamoru pulled away more of the plaster and found   
Reika. "They were probably in this building when it   
blew up," Makoto said. "It's a wonder they survived."  
  
"I-I can save them," Usagi said, straightening.   
"I can use the Crystal and save them."  
  
"No! You're too weak," Mamoru answered, stopping   
her. The others voiced their agreement.  
  
"I have to, they need help and the hospital's too   
far. We have to do something now, and the Crystal's the   
only way," her face held a determined look and everyone   
knew better than to argue.  
  
"Let me help then," Mamoru said.   
  
Usagi gave him a grateful smile and then turned to  
face the two. She closed her eyes and concentrated, bringing   
the Crystal out. Mamoru kneeled behind her, holding her,   
his eyes closed also and together, with their crystals   
combined they began to heal Motoki and Reika.   
  
It was a tense moment and the Senshi held their   
breaths until they saw both Motoki and Reika's eyes open   
slightly. Ami scanned them quickly and gave a small   
exclamation of joy.  
  
"They'll be okay! They'll be alright!"  
  
"Mamoru? Usagi?" Motoki asked.  
  
"Hai, it's us," Mamoru replied, helping his friend   
up as Usagi and Makoto did the same with Reika.  
  
"You guys are okay?" Reika asked.  
  
"A little bruised up, but we're alive and here!"   
Minako grinned. But then her smile faded. "What   
happened to the city?"  
  
Tears formed in Reika's eyes at the question.   
"So much," she whispered brokenly.  
  
"Too much," Motoki added, hugging his fiancée.  
  
"We're prepared to hear it all," Usagi said,   
taking an authoritative stance. "And then we're ready   
to fix it."  
  
-End Chapter 4.  
_______________  
Patch AN's:  
Slowly But Surely, that is our motto! We're cranking   
out these chapters one at a time and we're getting   
there, to the end! *Gasp!* Never thought we could do   
it, huh? We can and we will! Thankies go out to all   
those who write to us, coughs and colds to all those   
who don't. BWAHAHAHA!! Patch:-)(-:  
  
Hi hi! I don't have much to say (there's a first ^~)  
As always HUGE thanks to our editor, Meara - she rules!!  
and everyone who emails us! **hugs**   
Next week starts Don't Let Me Go: Crystallization -  
Please, please, plase email us!! ^_^  
  
3 Bethany and by default ^~ Patch   
Oh! New web page! Palla Palla's Play House - dedicated  
to the Amazoness Quartet ^_^  
http://www.geocities.com/Palla_Palla_Play_House  
or you can also come visit my other web page -  
Moon Bunny's Closet  
http://anime.at/bethsere  
  
  
  



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